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Geo-referenced mapping in an aquatic environment is challenging because it is hard to measure the location of objects and images underwater. In this paper, we propose the method and share the results: cost-effective framework to generate 2D and 3D underwater maps with digital imagery and a Structure from Motion (SfM) algorithm. The proposed method consists of data acquisition, image processing, and color correction. 292 and 437 images were acquired from each study site located in Spring Lake in San Marcos, Texas, U.S.A. Agisoft Photoscan Pro software was used to generate 3D point cloud data and orthomosaic images after feature matching and image alignment from geo-tagged imagery. The mosaic images with high resolution (< 0.2 cm per pixel) were generated with 2D underwater images. After color correction, the red reduction effect was recovered, and the bluer color was removed. The 3D underwater map was generated directly from 3D dense point clouds including geo-coordinates and RGB color information. As a result, the Very High Resolution (VHR) 2D and 3D maps were generated and the topographic surface of underwater structures was obtained in great detail. Although the RMSE were about 1 m, the proposed method provided more detailed surface of underwater features.

In April 2012, the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer conducted the first reconnaissance of a shipwreck site 275 km from the Texas-Louisiana coast as part of an interdisciplinary exploration mission focusing on deepwater hard-bottom habitat, naturally occurring gas seeps, and potential shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico. First identified as a side-scan sonar target in 2011 by Shell Oil during a lease-area survey, a brief ROV dive imaged the undisturbed, early nineteenth century wooden-hulled, copper-sheathed sailing vessel containing artillery, firearms, navigation instruments, cooking and food storage items, medicines, and personal effects. \"Monterrey A\" is one of the more significant shipwrecks discovered in the Gulf of Mexico to date because of its degree of preservation and the insight it provides into a critical period in history when new nations were forming at the end of Colonial period and the Gulf of Mexico was opening to global trade.

The shipwreck of the Quedagh Merchant is an archaeological site that brings to life one of the most romanticized activities in modern popular culture: piracy. Little specific evidence of pirates and their actions exists in the archaeological record and, oftentimes, it is difficult to distinguish the identification and function of certain artifacts and features from being piratical or simply commonplace. In analyzing, interpreting, and managing this shipwreck site, the popular legend of Captain William Kidd as a nefarious pirate can be deconstructed and placed into actual historical context and utilized as an archaeological site accessible to the general public as a marine protected area, or Living Museum in the Sea. Captain Kidd captured the Quedagh Merchant in the Indian Ocean and subsequently abandoned it off of the southeastern coast of Hispaniola in 1699. The investigation and identification of the ship’s remains include the analysis of the site’s main features, wood samples from the hull, mass spectrometry of sampled ballast stones, and hull construction, the results of which indicate the site being the same ship Kidd abandoned over 300 years ago. Efforts in site interpretation place the ship within its historical context on multiple levels of social interaction within varying scales of size, from individual action to state action utilizing world-systems theory and network theory. Finally a framework for site management describes methods for both preserving and protecting the site, while efforts in public archaeology allow public access and outline what has been accomplished to date.

The Spanish Main (the continental Spanish colonies in the New World) was rich in natural resources, especially gold and silver. Panama was one of the most crucial waypoints in the shipment of these precious metals. During his fourth and final voyage, Christopher Columbus charted a vast swath of the Caribbean coast of Panama. This resulted in further exploration of these new territories, with the first Spanish incursions on Tierra Firme. These efforts initiated the conquest and colonization that would soon reach most of South America. News of the riches found in these territories spread from the stories of conquistador Vasco

Among the names associated with the most notorious figures in the history of pirates, Captain William Kidd can be found at the top of the list. Most do not know the true story of Captain Kidd and how he went down in history as an infamous pirate (figure 5.1). At the dawn of the Golden Age of Piracy, Kidd was sanctioned by England as a privateer to hunt pirates and to quell pirate activity in the Indian Ocean. He would eventually capture the Quedagh Merchant, a move that would brand him a pirate and lead to his eventual execution. Kidd

Captured off the west coast of India by the scandalous 17th Century pirate Captain William Kidd, the Armenian-owned Cara Merchant of Quedagh sailed into the Caribbean and was subsequently abandoned offshore of Catalina Island in present day Dominican Republic.  Although lost, but not forgotten, the pirate ship was subject to both contemporary and modern day treasure hunts in the effort to discover the documented precious cargo.  Discovered in 2007, scientific investigations have not only conclusively proven the identity of this ship which is associated with Captain Kidd, but also more significantly has documented the shipwreck as a unique example of 17th CenturyWest India ship construction.  Inaugurated as a Living Museum in the Sea on May 23, 2011, the Naufragio de Capitán Kidd is now protected under new Dominican Republic law for this and future generations.